16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Do you Always Google Search Before You Buy?

by The Niche Man
14 replies
In the last week I've received an alarming number of people seeking my help, complaining about being ripped-off, or disappointed by a product, which I discovered could have been avoided with a simple Google search.

Just curious, do you always Google search
before you buy a product or service?
If so, do you focus on the product, the seller or company, or reviews?

And
If it depends on price, what price point would trigger a search.

Personally anything over $20 will get me to search at least one thing, depending on what the product or service is. Especially if it's my first experience with the seller.
#buy #google #search
  • Profile picture of the author shadeofinfo
    I do searches before I buy things all the time. Just so I can read the reviews, understand what other people have said about it, things like that. Basically so I don't end up having the same fate as the people you mentioned contacted you.

    I've been ripped off in the past with products I bought and I never want to have that happen again.
    Signature
    Actionable blueprints and strategies for growing your site. www.contentranked.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958114].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author art72
    Depends on the product. If it's IM related I come here first and chech the feedback, reviews, etc...

    Anything outside of IM, "YES" I generally do my homework, and research on Google. The sad reality is, it's often hard to find reviews on anything that are genuine reviews, unless it's in a comment posted on a site from an actual buyer... as most reviews are done by savvy affiliates, trying to push sales.
    Signature
    Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958116].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    I search before I sign-up for any recurring service. It's uncovered some potential problems in the past.
    Signature
    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958157].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author absolutelee
    I never search. How would I know that he so called review is legit? I've also hardly ever bought anything that wasn't worth the money.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958224].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tim Fuhrman
    If you are talking about products in general then sometimes I search and sometimes I don't, But if you mean IM products then I always search unless I know the product creator. Since 99% of all reviews are affiliate review sites trying to make a sale I always try to find a review on Warrior Forum. I find that I tend to get a bigger range of opinions from "lovers" to "haters" but it usually lets me know what I'm in for. Some members are very good at giving you a running update of their experience with the product so you can judge for yourself if its for you or not.
    Signature
    Get Your Free Affiliate Marketing Report Here!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958243].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tamalkrishna
    Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

    In the last week I've received an alarming number of people seeking my help, complaining about being ripped-off, or disappointed by a product, which I discovered could have been avoided with a simple Google search.

    Just curious do you always Google search
    before you buy a product or service?
    If so, do you focus on the product, the seller or company, or reviews?

    And
    If it depends on price, what price point would trigger a search.

    Personally anything over $20 will get me to seach at least one thing, depending on what the product or service is. Especially if it's my first experience with the seller.
    I do it always to find out if the product is really valuable. Sometimes you may find awesome reviews about the product you want to purchase. It makes you confident. I always do this and suggest you to do the same.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958343].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Bailey Ing
    If it's a higher priced product I always Google it just to get a general idea of what the feedback is like.

    It's handy when there is a Warrior thread on the product but I always take the comments with a pinch of salt.

    I find that people who read and post negative comments about the product probably have had issues, so are actually trying to look for confirmation that others had the same issues too.

    Some rave comments you can tell are people who are their friends or from their mastermind/circle.

    If there seems to be a common theme running throughout the posts by different people, I usually take that on board.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958420].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author azni
    Most of the time i do. A quick google search would help me to find out about the author and the product. I usually try to find balance in the review that I read looking at both pros and cons, and i would use my own judgement whether to believe, go ahead and buy.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958487].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mikeprofit
    I needed to buy a product from the hardware store a couple of weeks ago. So i went online to the hardware store's website to read reviews for the product that I needed. I'm glad that I did too. This is a major (top of the line) hardware store. You would think that all of their products are top of the line. They offered several brands of the product that I needed. The reviews written about one of the brands was terrible. The product only worked for 2 days to 2 weeks.
    Needless to say I did not buy that brand. But I wonder why they continue to carry the brand with the bad reviews? The stores reputation is on the line too.
    What was the product that I needed? Water hoses for my washing machine.
    At any rate I look online for reviews. The reason / proof is in the reviews. I want to solve my problem. And not for a few days, or weeks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8958557].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      I do search online, but I take "affiliate review" sites with a huge bucket of salt. Too many "I used this product and loved it" creative writing exercises to take this type of site seriously anymore.

      I don't buy a lot of IM/MMO stuff anymore, and when I do, it's usually based on my trust of the product creator or the person recommending it (the latter is a very, very short list).

      In the physical products arena, as well as services (like restaurants, hotels, etc.), I do read reviews but no one review or reviewer is going to make my decision for me. I look for common themes, trends, etc.

      I bought a car once based on a copious number of glowing reviews, both individual owners and respected publications, and happened to get a lemon. I mean the four wheeled version of a money pit. I thought the repair shop was going to start charging me rent...

      I've also been pleasantly surprised when items from less popular or less hyped brands with steady positive but unspectacular reviews have been real gems.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8959042].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author affguy89
    I search if I don't know that person or company for delivering high quality experiences.
    Signature

    Affiliate links, templates, and redirects are not allowed.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8959040].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Samuel Adams
    Not researching a product can easily lead to an impulse purchase. So I always make a habit to read as many reviews as possible on multiple sites including Amazon, whether I'm shopping for new earphones or an iPod. And, that's true no matter where I buy the product. The current users of a product will be the best judge as to it's quality and can help you find out the pro's and cons of the item before you invest money. Once I find out if a product is right for me, then I will look to find the site which has the best deal.
    Signature

    Would you like to learn how I make $2000/month from a super easy listbuilding system?

    Click here to get my listbuilding report for FREE!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8959106].message }}

Trending Topics